Ted Nugent Pleads Guilty to Killing Black Bear in Alaska in 2009

Ted Nugent has agreed to plead guilty to transporting a black bear he illegally killed in southeast Alaska three years ago. The incident stems from a hunt where Nugent continued to hunt after shooting a bear with his bow and arrow that he didn’t find. Several days after not finding the bear, he went hunting again and shot a different bear.

Nugent made the admission in signing a plea agreement with federal prosecutors that was filed Friday in U.S. District Court.

The incident stems from a May 2009 hunt that Nugent filmed for his TV show “Call of the Wild.” During that hunt, Nugent allegedly shot a bear that he did not recover. Several days later, after exhausting attempts to find the bear, Nugent went hunting again and shot another bear that he did recover.

According to Alaska hunting regulations, hunters are only allowed to kill one bear during a season. Under the law, the wounding of a bear counts toward the season’s bag limit.

“Nugent failed to locate and harvest the wounded bear,” the plea agreement said.

The A.P. reports that Nugent has agreed to pay a $10,000 fine in connection with this incident. The news organization also reports that Nugent also agreed with a two-year probation, including a special condition that he not hunt or fish in Alaska or Forest Service properties for one year. He also agreed to create a public service announcement that would be broadcast on his show every second week for one year, the document states.

By pleading guilty, Nugent avoids prosecution under the Federal Lacey Act. Under the Act, Nugent would have faced even stiffer penalties for possessing and transporting an illegally killed game animal over state lines.

According to the plea agreement, Nugent also agreed to create a public service announcement that promotes the importance of a person’s responsibility in knowing the rules and regulations of their hunting activities. A federal judge still must sign off on the agreement.

Nugent’s attorney told the Anchorage Daily News on Friday that “There wasn’t any blood trail that they could find,” and, “There was a little blood apparently at the spot, but nothing that indicated the bear was hard hit.”

Deer & Deer Hunting will provide more details on this story as they unfold.